Joseph Dessaix

See also: Dessaix

Joseph Dessaix is a Savoyard author, born with Allinges (Haute-Savoie), the May 7th, 1817 and died in Evian in 1870 of an angina pectoris. He was the nephew of the famous general Joseph Marie Dessaix of the army of Napoleon.

In 1840, it founds with Chambéry, a newspaper for youth, and in 1848, and took part in a certain number of reviews: “The Cat”, “the Commune”, “the Savoyard Patriot”, etc It begins a political career as a republican, federalist and a burning defender of the Italian unit. He is imprisoned during two years, without judgment, to have written a satire against the king Charles-Albert. At its exit, it kills in duel a political adversary and must be exiled.

Of return in Savoy, he is imprisoned, but a vast campaign of petitions pushes the king Victor-Emmanuel with the grâcier. Henceforth calmed, it will be devoted to literary work, and in particular to its encyclopedia devoted to the Duchy of Savoy “ picturesque historical Savoy ” in two volumes (1854).

In 1855, it founds with Chambéry, the Savoyard Société of History and Archeology, of which he becomes the first president, then becomes official historiographer of the boring of the Tunnel of Frejus at the side of Germain Sommeiller.

In 1856, at the time of the festival given in the honor of the constitutional statute of 1848, it presents a song named “the Freedom” which evokes Freedom as an alive allegory which driven out France takes refuge in the mountains of Savoy where it finds the support of the people of the Allobroges which will morally help all the people of the world which aspire to freedom. Very quickly this song will know in very great success through all the duchy of Savoy and even with Geneva and Lausanne, and will be more known under the name of Chant of Allobroges, become the anthem of all the Savoyard ones.

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